Ostracized
by princeofsparrows
Summary: Aaron was an orphan who wanted nothing more than for everyone to stop ignoring him. His classmates, his crush, even the other orphans. He finally gets his wish granted, but by the wrong person...which brings some more unwanted attention...
1. Chapter 1

I'm just going to go ahead and say that this is not a yaoi story. NOT a yaoi story. Don't read into the relationship between the two main characters two much, it's not going to happen. Enjoy!

 **Prologue Pt 1: The Sensorial Orphanage and Trinity School**

(Aaron's P.O.V.)

First off, let me start by saying that being the only Fighting-type Pokemon in an orphanage for Psychic-types doesn't exactly have its perks. One would be expected to have kids swarming around them asking them what was different about them, you know the whole innocent curiosity thing. But no, I was discriminated against. Like I was a parasite or a pest. All the other kids completely ignored me, and when I tried to make myself noticed, I was pushed away or chastised.

Life at S.O. wasn't exactly easy. It started when my parents dumped me on the stairs. Heh, typical I know. At first I was treated like I was special. I was a baby at the time so it was expected. I was fed everyday, when I cried I got what I wanted, and I was always the center of attention. All the while the Aides were disputing over whether or not I should be kept or not. A few thought it was wrong to allow a fighting-type to be in an orphanage for psychics while the rest just didn't have the heart to turn away a homeless child. The only one who didn't argue was Ms. Beth. The youngest Aide, a Delphox, who decided to make me her responsibility even though she was only there half the day. When she was there she fed me, changed me, and even made sure I was tucked in every night. During all of this one Aide, on the side willing to trade me over to a different orphanage, looked down at me with scorn. Her name was Ms. Fern, a Gothitelle, who, to this day tried to do everything she could to make me hate it there. When I turned old enough(10) she decided I should start helping around the orphanage. Her birthday gift to me was a broom which I was ordered to use to sweep every single room until it was spotless. Meanwhile everyone else got cake and played all day. I wasn't allowed to get a piece until every room was clean. It was at this point that I began to realize that something was wrong...

"M-ms. Fern?"

She looked at me with a scowl.

"What do you want you urchin?!"

I backed away a little before continuing.

"H-how come everyone else gets a piece of cake and play while I have to clean?"

She frowned and then smiled.

"Well Aaron...let's put it this way. I gave you a job to do, and when you're done that job, you get reward: cake. If you don't finish you don't get cake. Simple."

"W-well how come I'm the only one who has to clean?"

She started to walk away.

"Because you're not the same as everyone else. You're different, so you get treated different."

She was about to leave the room but stopped short when she heard my last question.

"Doesn't that seem a b-bit...unfair?"

She turned toward me.

"Are you questioning me?"

I backed away, knowing what was coming.

"N-no! I just wanted to know-"

"You know the penalties for questioning me..."

She lifted a hand and her eyes began to glow. A blue aura surrounded my body and I screamed in pain.

"Ah AAHH!"

I slowly fell, first on my knees, then my front paws, and then flat on my stomach. Tears started to flow and I cried.

"Please...stop..."

The aura disappeared and she walked away.

"Good. Now finish cleaning and maybe you'll get some cake..."

I heard her mumble the words "If there's any left..." as she closed the door. I got up and slowly walked over to the broom, before continuing sweeping. I had gotten a Psychic every time I asked a question regarding her treatment toward me. I noticed more things that seemed "unfair" in the orphanage. Like how while I cleaned, the other kids got to play, or how all the other kids slept in a big room together, while I had to sleep in a small room by myself, and finally how nice she was to all the other kids, all the smiles and rewards they got, while all I got was chastisement and punishment. When another child dropped their food, they got a smile and had another plate made ready for them...However if I dropped food I got a Psychic, had to clean it up, and was not fed until the next meal.

By the time I had finished sweeping it was already night. I groggily walked to where the cake had been served and found Ms. Fern sitting at the table eating a piece.

"Ms. Fern? I've finished sweeping...may I have some cake?"

She put the plate down and smiled.

"Of course!"

I smiled for the first time that day as she picked up the serving utensil but frowned when looking on the platter.

"Oh I'm sorry Aaron, there isn't any more! It seems as though I've eaten the last piece..."

My smiled reverted back to a frown, and I heard my stomach grumble.

"Can I at least have dinner?"

She clicked her tongue and waved a finger.

"Now now Aaron, you know dinner is served at 6 p.m everyday. If you wanted it you should've came down to get some."

I started to cry and looked at her wicked smile. She escorted me to bed while I wept. She shoved me in my room.

"Go to bed."

She slammed the door closed leaving me in almost complete darkness, the only light coming from the moonshine outside my window. I laid in my bed and cried until I heard my door open. I sniffled and smiled when I saw it Ms. Beth. She peeked her head in and was carrying a bag.

"Hey Aaron. Sorry I couldn't get to you all day, Ms. Fern kept me busy."

I hopped out of bed and hugged her. She smiled at me as I looked up at her with tears in my eyes.

"Happy Birthday."

She pulled an aluminum covered plate out of her bag.

"I saved you some cake. You want it?"

I sniffled and stifled a small: "yes..." We both sat on my bed and Ms. Beth fed me my cake. I was a little embarrassed seeing as I just turned ten years old.

"Ms. Beth...how come Ms. Fern doesn't like me?"

She avoided my gaze as she answered.

"She doesn't dislike you. She just has an odd way of showing how much she cares..."

"But..she always makes me clean while the other kids are allowed to play. A-and I'm never allowed to talk to any of the other kids."

She rubbed my back as I ate.

"She's just trying to make sure you grow up to be strong and behaved. All the other kids are going to be spoiled and rotten. while you'll be nice and polite."

I finished my cake and gave her the plate.

"Listen. Now that you're ten, you're going to have to go start going to actual school. The learning program may not be a viable learning process now since none of the other kids speak to you..."

I looked down sadly. She noticed this and smiled.

"Don't worry! School will be a great place for you to meet other kids and make friends! You'll have a great time learning and having fun. Just wait."

She hugged me and got up, about to leave.

"You'll have a bunch of new friends in no time."

She closed the door behind her and left with a smile on her face.

The next morning Ms. Beth held my hand as we walked to my new school. I looked down at the ground, extremely nervous about going to school. Before now I was taught by an Aide, a Xatu, who was willing to teach me. All the other aides who taught were the ones who didn't want me around so I was taught alone. But by doing this I paid more attention to her lessons, even at a young age. She made sure I got a proper education even if I was different. This morning she came to see me and say goodbye since she wouldn't be my teacher anymore.

Anyway, we approached the school, Ms. Beth looked down at my nervous form, staring at the ground and clutching her hand tightly. She smiled softly.

"It'll be okay Aaron. You may be nervous, but you'll be fine. I promise. Look up."

I did as I was told and saw that it wasn't as bad as I thought. There weren't only Psychic-types and no one scowled at me. In fact, no one looked at me at all. There were three buildings surrounded by a large fence. A sign read "Welcome to Trinity School. Grades range from first to twelfth. One adequately sized was labeled "Elementary", one larger one was labeled "Middle" and the last one, the noticeably larger one was labeled "High School". I saw all kinds of Pokemon ranging from baby to middle evolutions, who mainly went into the elementary school and larger Pokemon ranging from middle evolutions to fully evolved Pokemon who mainly went into the middle and high schools. Ms. Beth led me to the smallest building and signed me in. She made conversation with the Unfezant(F) secretary and led me to a room around the corner. On the door in multiple colors read:

"Ms. Flora's fifth grade class. Welcome!"

A Sunflora was standing outside and greeted us.

"Hi there! What's your name?"

I hid behind Ms. Beth and she giggled.

"Not much of a talker huh?"

She looked up at Ms. Beth and they walked me in the class. Ms. Flora walked to the front of the room and gained the attention of the other kids. Meanwhile Ms. Beth knelt down in front of me.

"Now look. I know your nervous...but we talked about this yesterday remember? You aren't gonna cry, you aren't gonna whine. You're here to make friends and learn. You're a big boy now so you have to act like it okay?"

I nodded and she continued.

"Remember, if you ever need help don't be afraid to ask. There's no need to be nervous."

She stood up and kissed my forehead.

"You be good. Bye!"

She left the room just in time for Ms. Flora to finish quieting everyone down.

"Alright everyone! We have a new student today. His name is Aaron and he'll be joining us."

She put her leaves on my shoulders. And looked down at me.

"Is there anything you'd like to tell us about yourself?"

I looked up at everyone and nearly panicked when I saw everyone staring at me. I looked down and shook my head 'no'.

"Oh, well that's fine. Just take your seat, there's one open right next to Jacqueline."

She pointed to a Pumpkaboo floating over a desk. I slowly walked to my seat, avoiding the gazes of everyone, and sat down.

"Now then everyone. I have some multiplication practice sheets for you to work on."

She placed one on everyone's desk.

"Alright now get to work. You may talk to the person next to you."

I paid no attention to my worksheet and looked up in thought.

(I wonder how long this is gonna last. For as long as I've been here no one's said a word to me except the teacher...)

I started doing the worksheet in front of me.

(Just be yourself like Ms. Beth told you. If you do that you'll have plenty of friends in no time!)

I smiled and eagerly continued working. If only I'd have known what school would really be like.


	2. Chapter 2

**Prologue Pt 2: New Fox in Town**

 **Five years later...**

A Zoroark pulled up to a three building school in his car. It was two months before school would start and he was there for the reason most Pokemon wouldn't expect: a job interview! Most wouldn't expect a Pokemon like him to be teaching. He just hopes that this school was passed the stereotype that claimed that dark-types were shifty and antisocial. If he had a dollar for every time he couldn't get a job teaching because of said stereotype...he'd have three dollars. But that wasn't the point. The point was, he was trying to get a job. He's been all over Sinnoh trying to find a good teaching job, and he hoped that this would be it.

(Duncan's P.O.V.)

I hopped out of my car, eager to get to my interview. I closed the door and walked onto school grounds. (Huh...it's as nice as they said it was.)

I walked into the building labeled "High School" and then made my way to the office. There was a Leafeon sitting behind the counter typing on her computer. She looked up and smiled.

"Hi! Welcome to Trinity High School, how may I help you?"

I leaned on the counter.

"Yes, my name is Duncan. Duncan Night, I'm here for a teaching interview?"

She typed something in her computer and nodded.

"Yeah, it says your scheduled for 8:00, and it's...Wow! It's 7:59 *giggle* aren't you punctual?"

She gestured toward a door right in next to the counter.

"Go right ahead."

I walked through the door and saw a male Meowstic sitting behind a desk. When he looked up from his paperwork, he smiled.

"Ah! Mr. Night, we've been expecting you!"

He got up and shook paws with me.

"I'm Principal Stitch. But you can just call me Martin."

He gestured toward the seat in front of his desk.

"Please sit!"

I did as I was told and sat. I handed him my resume and he looked it over. I gulped when he looked at it curiously but he shrugged his shoulders and put it down. He began typing things in his computer.

"So, it says here you majored in English and, was a psychology minor? What was that like?"

It was my turn to look at him curiously. That wasn't a question I normally received in an interview.

"Uh...It was okay I guess. I studied psychology on the side so I could understand my students better. That way I'd be able to help more if they came to me with any issues."

He placed his paws on top of each other and squinted at me. I began sweating a little as he stared at me intensely. He then got up then walked to a mini fridge he had in the corner of the room. After pouring a cup of water he placed it on the desk and slid it to me.

"Here drink some water and relax a little. I know you want to make a good first impression but this is a high school not a law firm!"

He laughed as I drank the water and exhaled loudly.

"Now then. Let's get down to business..."

(A few minutes later)

I smiled as we shook hands.

"Well well well it looks like you got yourself a job Night!"

(Yes!)

"I should let you know that you'll be teaching 10th and 11th grade. You can come in August 20th and get situated. Do you have any questions before you go?"

I put a claw in my chin.

"Well actually, I was wondering what happened to the teacher before me."

He laughed nervously.

"Well, I wasn't expecting that. *clears throat* He was fired."

I raised a brow.

"What for?"

"He was harassing a student over something he had no control over. His parents complained about his petulant behavior toward them at a parent teacher conference and we let him go."

He placed both paws on his desk and leaned over it, forcing me to lean back. My eyes widened as he got closer and stared at me.

"Disrespect toward students, parents, and colleagues is intolerable no matter what type or species. I hope you will abide by the rules Mr. Night."

He smiled and sat back down.

"Have a good day!"

He shook his paw before leaving. The Leafeon that was sitting behind the counter smiled at me as I left his office.

"So how'd it go?"

I smiled back at her and replied:

"It went great! I got the job."

"Well that is great! My name's Casey and I'm the secretary. If you ever need anything come to me okay?"

(3rd Person)

As Duncan exited the building he nodded at the Leafeon and waved good-bye. He hopped in his car happily and as he drove to his apartment, he hummed a random tune. He was so thankful that he had gotten the job with no negative repercussions. He was especially happy when he heard that disrespect toward colleagues was not allowed. He knew it wasn't allowed anywhere else, but at his previous jobs he often felt type of tension whenever he spoke with his co-workers. If he made a single mistake he was fired and sent away. But now he had a new start. He was at a new school in a new town with a new girlfriend.(This fact will be important later. NO spoilers though) As he arrived at his apartment he wondered what type of students he would be teaching. And if he would be a good teacher.


	3. Chapter 3

**Prologue Part III(Final): First Glance**

 **(First Day of school)(Aaron's P.O.V.)**

Over the last five years, I learned a few things.

One: School was not easy.

Two: I'm very timid and shy.

And three: Making friends isn't easy either.

I've been ignored purposely and accidentally. Most teachers didn't call on my whenever I raised my hand because they thought I was too quiet and didn't want me to have to repeat myself. Other than that no one's spoken so much as a word to me. I guessed that it was because I was too small and quiet and that they didn't notice me. It was so bad that teachers marked me absent until they happened to notice me when passing out tests, collecting homework, and teaching.

I was in high school so most of the Pokemon were either fully evolved or in the middle so I could understand why the didn't notice me. I haven't evolved yet. I used the school computer lab to search up how Riolus evolve and it said through friendship and happiness. Then I understood why. How could I evolve through friendship if I had no friends? On top of that no one paid me any mind. I could be part of some evil team trying to take over the Unova region but no one would know because they never bothered to so even say "Hi!" to me. You'd think that after going to this school for five years someone would've noticed me by now. But the students have formed bonds with one another in elementary school that have lasted up until now so when they got back from summer break they already knew each other. And all of the new students either formed groups between themselves or joined the old friend groups. It wasn't like in the anime I watched in the orphanage. No one noticed the lonely protagonist and became best friends with them(me) or bumped into them leading to an awkward first impression where one resented the other for their clumsiness and timidity. Nope, everyone just acted like I didn't exist.

Honestly I was jealous of the newbies who made friends quickly. I've gotten to know everyone in my grade(indirectly) through observation and, I will admit guiltily, eavesdropping. Yeah, I listened to their conversations, but I wasn't doing any harm since I never told anyone anything I heard. I just wanted to know a little about the people around me. There was one person, however, who I never got to know anything about. She was a Kirlia who everyone seemed to ignore like me. That wasn't true since she made herself known by being the smartest in school. I could never bring my self to listen to any of her conversations, I just watched. I've been doing so for a while, and have found out almost nothing about her except that she likes to read, and prefers to do so alone in the library. I was always too nervous to get close to her so I watched her almost everyday, trying to see if she'll do anything _different_.

Other than that, I've been doing fine academically. My grades weren't perfect, you know the phrase "Nothing to call home about..." The only thing that I could talk about was when a teacher kept picking on some Espeon in my class last year which led to him being fired, but that story can told some other time. Anyway, this year I hope that I can at least make one friend so maybe I can evolve and get noticed. I don't care who does...I just want someone to acknowledge me-

"Alright pencils down!"

(Aaron's P.O.V)

I did as the teacher said and put my pencil down on my desk. I was a bit miffed since I didn't get to finish but I figured I wrote enough. The teacher, a Zoroark, got up from his desk and strolled in the front of the class.

"Okay, not that you've written about your time here in Trinity I'm going to introduce myself."

He wrote his name on the white board, and spoke aloud as he wrote.

"I am Mr. Night. The reason I made you write first is because I want you to get used to writing a journal everyday before class starts. It will count as a grade and your journal books will be collected at the end of the week. Since I want to get to know you guys I want you to pass up your journals now so I can read them. They'll be returned tomorrow."

We all handed our notebooks to the person in front of us and those in the front just handed them all to him as he walked in the front of the class. I was a little nervous about him reading about a subject that is kind of personal to me. But I figured he would just do what other teachers did and just make sure it make the requirements of the typical essay rubric and grade me on that. Once he collected all the books he placed them on a shelf and grabbed a piece of paper from his desk.

"Alright. The first thing I'm going to do is take role. I want to learn how to say and pronounce your names properly so make sure to correct me if I get it wrong. *clears throat* Emmett Sheel?"

After he called the first name a Slowbro raised his hand, and then everyone started to converse quietly while he called names. I, having no one to talk to, paid attention to the names spoken, as to learn names as well. That is if there was anyone new.

"Veronica Noire?"

I looked around the room to see who it was and was surprised to see that it was the Kirlia in which I've been observing. She delicately raised her hand and then went back to reading. After calling a few names he finished and went to put the paper down.

(Huh...skipped again...)

He then looked at it closely and looked up at us.

"Aaron Fist?"

Everyone looked around and he repeated himself.

"Is there an Aaron Fist here?"

I slowly raised my hand and everyone looked at me. I heard murmurs from the other students.

"Who's he?"

"Never seen him before..."

"Must be new..."

He smiled and put a claw on his chin.

"You're kinda small for a tenth grader Aaron. Why don't you come sit up front so I could see you better?"

I muttered a small "ok..." as I grabbed my stuff and moved to the desk in the front of my row.

"That's better. Now then. Everyone..."

I couldn't help but notice a few people staring at me. As if they've never seen a Riolu before, as if they've seen _me_ before. This staring was short lived since, I'm guessing, Mr. Night was telling us something important and everyone looked at him. Well, everyone except one person in particular. She was giving me a stern look, her face void of any emotion. Looking from me to Mr. Night and then back at me. She kept mouthing words, which I couldn't understand since I couldn't read lips, and twirling around an index finger. I tilted my head and shrugged my shoulders. She huffed silently and rolled her eyes before they started glowing blue. Suddenly my head jerked around and I was focusing on the teacher. It was then I understood what she was telling me to do.

"...So next week we will be diving into a book called Migration: Hidden Regions. It'll be discussing the migration of Pokemon to the parts of the world hidden from humans, and how we became civilized using their technology. It's very interesting and it's only about, I'd say ten chapters. It's pretty easy to read."

He looked down on his desk.

"Hm, that's all I've got to say for today. You can talk among yourselves until class is over."

He walked behind his desk and began typing on his computer. While everyone began talking I just started doodling in a notebook. I did so until the bell rang, and then put my things away. Everyone shuffled out of the classroom. I took one last look into the class and gasped when I saw the teacher reading my journal, with a worried look on my face. He glanced up at me, which made my blood run cold. I ran out of the classroom as fast as I could, and sprinted to the next.

(Duncan's P.O.V.)(Forty-five minutes later)

I couldn't help but repeat Aaron's words in my head during the next class period.

 _I just want someone to notice me..._

I couldn't figure out what to do. It should have been easy since I studied child and adolescent psychology. But this was different from what I'd studied. Most of the files said that most teens struggle with familiar issues or with the people around them. I've never heard of a student wishing to be noticed. It was kind of sad really. The reason he's still a Riolu in the tenth grade is because he never made any real friends. I struggled while wondering whether I should talk with him, his parents, or the guidance counselor...

I eventually decided to just leave it be, since most don't want a nosy teacher like me to get in their business.

(Aaron's P.O.V.)(End of school day)

The fact that Mr. Night had read my journal so early on gave me and unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. It made me happy to see that he had a worried look on his face(which meant he had sympathy), but I wouldn't want him to do something drastic like try to do a home visit or send me to the counselor.

I waited outside of the school gates for Ms. Beth like I've been doing for the last four school years. While the students poured out of the gates, I grew jealous. All the students who walked home together, or had parents to pick them up. I looked down grimly until finally, the shadow of Ms. Beth loomed over me.

"Hey Aaron, how was school?"

We started walking back to the orphanage and I answered:

"It's fine, same as before...There's a new English teacher named Mr. Night, a Zoroark."

We rounded a corner and made our way onto a block filled with houses.

"He's nice. Young. He already made us write an essay..."

She laughed and began to space out. As we walked I grew a little nervous from her deep thinking. Then suddenly I felt a shockwave leave my body. Ms. Beth stiffened and looked down at me.

"Are you okay Aaron? You seem nervous."

My eyes widened at her spot on guess at how I felt.

"U-um. I was just a little nervous because you spaced out. That's all..."

She smiled.

"Hmph. Well, I was just thinking about something. You know what. I have something to tell you."

"Yeah?"

She knelt down to reach my eye level.

"Aaron, you're fifteen years old now, so it's time I stopped treating you like a child. I'm going to stop picking you up from school from now on okay?"

My heart sank.

"Why?"

She avoided eye contact.

"Well, you've gotten old enough to where you can walk on your own. The school battle program's been teaching how to fight or maybe you could walk with your friends."

I looked down and a blue wave left my body. I had forgotten that I never told her how I didn't have any friends. She put a paw on my shoulder.

"Don't be sad. I'll be waiting at the orphanage to help you with your homework like I always do."

I smiled, even though I was hurting on the inside.

"Okay!"

We kept walking until we reached the orphanage. We went inside and as we were about to walk inside my room, I stopped.

"Ms. Beth, I think I understand everything on my homework today. I don't need any help."

She raised a brow.

"You sure? I don't mind helping."

I started to close the door.

"Yep, I'm fine. See you later!"

She waved and smiled as I closed the door all the way. I waited til I heard her walk away then leaned my forehead on the door and sighed.

(Great. The only person I can be happy around is going to see me even less then they usually do...soon...I won't be able to see her at all...)

Some of the other aides think that my relationship with Ms. Beth is an odd one. How can a child be friends with an adult? It's simple, she's like a mother to me. She took care of me, fed me, made me happy when I was sad and even did her best to keep me in good hands while she was away. Not being able to see her as much as I wanted to was like trying to keep a baby Kangaskhan away from their parent. It was unsettling and made me upset. Her time with me was already limited to two hours a day since I'm basically a live in volunteer, and have to clean and watch the other kids sometimes. Since I'm usually busy "working" I barely have time to spare, what with homework, chores, as well as my "volunteer" work.

I shook myself from my thoughts and wiped away the tears forming in my eyes then laid down on my bed.

(What am I gonna do now? I practically have no one...)

Later that night  
(Ms. Beth's P.O.V.)

I peeked inside of Aaron's room and saw him sleeping a few feet a away from the door, on the floor. I noticed the fur under his eyes was crisp.

(He must have been crying...)

I picked him up and cradled him like he was my own child and put him in bed. I tucked him in his bed and kissed his forehead. I watched him tremble as I moved away.

(He must be having a nightmare...)

I looked behind me to make sure the door was closed, then whispered two words.

" _dream eater_..."

As I "ate" his dream I tasted nothing but feelings of dread and despair. I looked at his face and it looked a little more peaceful, but I wanted to see him happy. So I did one thing before I left.

"Hypnosis..."

I used this to give him a better dream, which I guessed worked since he was smiling. I left the room with one last peek, leaving him to his pleasant dream, whatever it was.

P.O.S: So I'm finally finished with the Prologue chapters. Now we can get into the juicy stuff! I'd like to thank everyone who's stuck with me so far, I'm really glad I could entertain you as much I have(If I did...). I hope you all have a wonderful day(or night depending on your area and what time I upload...) and see you next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 1: Counseling**

(Aaron's P.O.V.)

Have you ever had one of those days where you just wake up in a good mood? Well today was one of those days. I got out of bed while humming some random tune and began getting ready for school. I brushed my teeth and fur, made my bed, and then put on my messenger bag(which I used to hold all of my supplies). I walked passed the room where all the Aides who lived here relaxed. I peeked in the door and waved.

"Good morning!"

A bright yellow wave swept throughout the room, and all of them smiled at me and waved back. I kept moving and passed the kitchen, which housed a Pansear cooking breakfast. I quickly walked passed him and waved. The same wave from before swept through the kitchen, and the usually grouchy cook I waved back at me.

I left the building, not bothering to wave to everyone else, and began walking to school. As I passed by my neighbors and Pokemon walking and driving, the yellow wave of aura kept spilling from me. Whoever I walked by smiled and said good morning, even random strangers. When I finally got to school a final wave swept through the entire school yard causing everyone to smile and talk happily.

(Why I am so happy? I have no reason to be this way...I have no friends, and the person who took care of me all my life is going to be seeing me less now...)

I felt myself getting upset but shook myself out of it. It was very rare for me to be in a good mood so when I was, I tried to keep it that way for as long as possible. And since I was already ruining it, I figured I wouldn't stay this way for long. I walked in the building and started walking to my homeroom class. While walking I passed by Mr. Night's room, and said Zoroark was standing outside his classroom holding a cup of VaVa coffee. He smiled when he saw me and waved. I waved back and kept walking. Just as I was about to round the corner he called out to me.

"Hey Aaron, can I talk to you for a second?"

I squeezed my eyes shut and sighed before turning around.

"Sure thing."

I walked up to him, while feigning a smile, and went into his classroom. He sat down behind his desk while I stood on front of it. He leaned back on his chair and pulled out a notebook: my journal book.

"First of all, good morning."

I kept my fake smile up, although I wasn't really comfortable in this situation.

"Good morning..."

He smiled and flipped open the book to the first page, where the journal I had written yesterday was.

"I couldn't help but notice that you didn't finish your journal. Any particular reason why?"

I made a confused face. That couldn't really have been the reason he called me in here right?

"Well...I was just writing a lot, and didn't get the chance to write all I wanted, that's all..."

He looked at me writing and then at me.

"Well that's fine I guess. But I also couldn't help but notice that your time here may not have given you the best experience. It's says that you've been... ignored?"

I gulped. I knew then why he called me into his classroom. A purple wave was emitted from my body and splashed the entire room.

"Y-yes..."

He closed the book and drank some more coffee.

"Oh. Well, I may be new, but I would never want anyone to go through what you've gone through. I'll leave it to you to deal with this issue since it's not really my business as a teacher to deal with things like this. I suggest that if you do want help...talk to the counselor. You don't have to, but I recommend it. I understand that some people aren't always comfortable talking about this kind of thing."

He smiled and waved me away.

"See you later!"

Just as I was about to leave he called out to me again:

"Oh and Aaron, if you ever need anyone to talk to, or any help, you can always come to me."

I made a genuine smile as I left and began walking to me homeroom. I never had anyone except Ms. Beth tell me that I could ask them for help or that I could talk to them. Everyone else just blew me off. But then I saw that there was someone who actually wanted to help me. I kept walking until I reached my homeroom. Just as I was about to enter, I felt an odd sensation in my mind that irritated me, which caused me to turn around. I did so and saw the mysterious Kirlia, Veronica, standing a few feet away. When she noticed me, she hastily rounded the corner. I slowly walked into the homeroom, thoroughly confused.

(Maybe I will go see the counselor...)

(Dismissal)

I decided to stop by the counselor's office at the end of the day since I wouldn't be meeting Ms. Beth to walk to the orphanage, and I wasn't in any particular rush to get there anyway. I nervously stood in front of the door labeled "Counselor" and walked up to it nervously. I hesitantly went to knock, but before I heard someone say:

"Come in..."

When I walked inside, I was greeting by an odd black and blue Pokemon. He had four long sensors in the shape of hair on his head, and a long blue tail, he was also wearing glasses. Finally, he had a silver spike in the middle of his chest. He was sitting behind his desk typing in his computer. (Just picture a Lucario okay?) He looked in my direction and stopped typing.

"Hello. My name's Mr. Weiss, what brings you here guy?"

I closed the door behind me and sat down in front of his desk.

"W-well, I was wondering if you could help me..."

He leaned toward me, and rested his chin on his arms.

"That's what I'm here for. What do you need help with?"

"Well it's kind of about a situation that's been going on for a little while and-"

"It's going to take a while for you to explain, I get it. Please sit."

I sat in the chair in front of his desk and began nervously twiddling my digits against each other. He took notice to this and gestured for me to start.

"O-okay, well, ever since I got here I haven't made any friends or gotten anyone to speak to me. I wouldn't say they're ignoring me...just that they haven't noticed me at all...and I'm starting to feel..."

"Left out?"

I looked at him and nodded. He leaned back in his chair and spun around a bit.

"Well Aaron, I suppose you're just shy. You tend to get nervous around others and don't like confrontation."

(How did he know my name?)

"H-how do you know that?"

He tapped his digits together.

"Well, let's just say my special powers allow me to tell how someone feels, like right now I know you're nervous. But that's okay, I've dealt with all kinds of Pokemon: shy, depressed, or curious. I've helped them all get passed their issues. And I'm going to help you, with yours. You've been going here how long?"

"Uh...five years..."

He choked up a bit and went wide eyed.

"*ahem*Alright, well we should probably get started... As a little practice for what we'll be doing, I'm going to input a couple scenarios into your mind, and it's up to you to just go with it. Think of it as a test so I can see what I've got to work with. I'm simply going to trick your mind into thinking you're somewhere else for a short period of time, so don't worry. Now close your eyes."

I did as I was told.

"How will I know what to do?"

I started to feel an odd sensation throughout my body. He said, in s muffled voice:

"That's what I'm testing you on..how you'll handle the situation I put you in..."

When I opened my eyes, I was in Mr. Night's classroom, a paper in my hand. I looked up to find everyone in the classroom looking up at me. This made me nervous since I never really presented anything in front of the class. Mr. Night was smiling at me, and gave me thumbs up.

"Go ahead."

I nervously looked down at my paper, which I guessed I was supposed to read. I looked up at everyone staring at me, and began to shake. I kept looking down at my paper and muttered the words, while also messing up a few times. Everyone started to giggle and laugh, and I felt tears beginning to well up in my eyes. I closed them to avoid eye contact, and when I opened them again, I was standing in the middle of sidewalk of a street I recognized. It was a street I walked down on my way to the orphanage. It was raining heavily, and for some reason I had an umbrella. I began walking toward it when I noticed a Quilava, who looked to be my age, standing under a tree to escape the rain. She looked like she was staring at me, but I turned around and watched as a bus drove by. When I looked back at her she was looking down in sadness. I didn't want to interfere, but I also felt bad that she was stuck under this tree in the rain, which didn't look like it was about to stop anytime soon. I took a breath and walked up to her. When she saw me, she half heartedly smiled.

"Hello."

I gestured that I wanted her to have my umbrella by pushing my arm toward her.

"You want me to have it?"

I closed my eyes and nodded.

"I can't. It's yours."

I looked down sadly, and when she noticed this, she smiled again.

"How about this, you can wait with me by my bus stop until the next one comes, and when it does, you can go?"

I smiled and nodded. She got under the umbrella, and we walked to the bus stop. We stood next to it for a while before she decided to speak up.

"What's your name?"

Although I was looking away, I answered.

"A-Aaron..."

"Well Aaron, my name is Lexi. Nice to meet you."

She outstretched a paw, which I took, and we shook paws(hands idk...).

After another moment of silence she cleared her throat to break it.

"So...were you headed home?"

"Yeah...I live right down the street. I'm not in any rush, so I figured I could help you out."

She touched the area on her chest where her heart was.

"Awe how sweet! If you were my age I'd probably wanna be friends. Wait...how old are you?"

I looked down nervously.

"F-fifthteen..."

"Oh...I'm only a few years older than you. Maybe we could hang out some time hm?"

I smiled and looked up at her.

"Sure."

I finally knew what it was like to have someone who I could call an acquaintance. It all came to an end when her bus finally pulled up. As she was about to step on I put my umbrella in her hand.

"No, I already told you I can't take it."

I let go.

"I insist, you probably have to walk after you get off the bus anyway. I only have to go down the street."

She hesitantly took it then stepped on the bus.

"Thank you for the umbrella. I really appreciate your kindness. Maybe we can hang out sometime?"

She waved as the bus doors closed, and then it drove away. I waved, with a slight smile and stood there as the bus drove into the distance.

I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, I was back in the counselor's office. I looked up, and saw that he was writing things down on a piece of paper.

"Aaron, I believe I've discovered your problem. You're an introvert, socially inept, not good at dealing with others. You don't really like to talk to people you aren't too familiar with."

I looked down.

"However in the second simulation, it seemed as though you had no problem talking to the girl you were helping. Perhaps you have no issues if you're doing what you feel is right? Or maybe her kind approach toward you helped you feel more comfortable? Or maybe, if you were to be the one to speak out, then you'll find it easier to communicate with others?"

"So you're saying that if I want friends, then I should be the one to speak first?"

He waved my thought away.

"Well...yes, essentially. I am surprised, however, that no one has reached out to you during a free period. Kids in this school tend to be friendly."

I two of my digits together.

"Well, I usually eat outside by myself at lunch. A-and no one goes in the same direction as me when we leave to go home..."

He stroked his chin in thought.

"Well, I guess you'll have to learn to be more outgoing."

He got up and started searching through a filing cabinet.

"You aren't the first shy student who wants to "get out there" to come to me for help."

He pulled out a small pamphlet and placed it on his desk.

"We have a program here that helps students like you learn to deal with others so that you can be happier. It let's you meet new people, some who relate to you, and some who just need help."

He pushed the book toward me, and I grabbed it.

"Whether you choose to attend is entirely up to you. Just go to the address on the back cover."

I flipped the book over and read the address.

"Alright then. I think we've done enough for today."

We both got up, and made our way to the door. He patted me on the back and escorted me out. Before closing the door he smiled, and waved goodbye.

"Have a good night!"

When I exited the school, I looked the book one final time, and studied it's cover. It read "Trinity Antisocial Aid Program: Learn to Communicate!" On it was a picture of a Lilligant and a Scrafty walking together down the street. They were both smiling.

(Maybe I should go...beats sitting around the orphanage being miserable...)

I put the pamphlet in my backpack, then then began making my journey "home".


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 2: Trinity Antisocial Aid Program**

(Aaron's P.O.V.)(Saturday)

After spending all week coaxing Ms. Beth into giving me a ride to my "Chess Club Meeting" I finally managed to get her to agree. She was a little skeptical at first since I never mentioned anything about a chess club to her, and I told her everything about school. When we arrived at the address on the pamphlet I got out of the car, and she rolled down the window. I stuck my head in.

"Thank you Ms. Beth..."

She smiled.

"You're welcome Aaron. I'll be back at around 2 p.m. To pick you up okay?"

I nodded.

"Okay, I don't know when the meeting ends so if it's over by then, then I'll just wait."

"Okay then."

I gripped my backpack and began to walk toward the building, and she waved goodbye.

"Have a good time!"

I waved back at her, then entered the building. When I got in, I noticed there were a large amount of doors, presumably all leading to different meeting rooms. From one of them, emerged a Reuniclus holding a clipboard. He was being followed by an Alakazam. When He saw me, he quickly floated over and analyzed me. He looked me up and down, and flipped through the pages on his board.

"Who are you?"

Before I could answer he told me everything I was about to say.

"Hm. Aaron Fist, here for the Trinity Antisocial Aid Program. Yes that's room 105."

He began to float away, and the Alakazam used Telekinesis to pick me and and followed him. We made our way through the halls before we reached room 105, and I placed in front of it. He used Psychic to open the door and then I was pushed in. I was met with a forest environment and turned around, wondering where I was.

"No way! They kicked me out?!"

I was slightly irritated until I heard giggling from behind me, and a voice in my head saying:

"No silly!"

A Lilligant stepped from inside the brush and waved.

"Hello, I'm Delia. Nice to meet you! I am a counselor in this program, and I'm here to teach you how to break out of that little shell of yours."

She giggled, and spun around.

"Follow me."

I did as I was told and ran up next to her. We walked for a while before I decided to break the awkward silence.

"So..who were the Reuniclus and Alakazam?"

She giggled before answering.

"Oh. That was Clyde(Reuniclus) and Leo(Alakazam) they're head of the staff of the building. They basically manage everything so that things keep running smoothly in the building. They're also backup security. They;re great at what they do."

I looked back toward the direction we came from.

"They're a little weird..."

She waved her leaf in amusement, and laughed.

"Oh everyone says that , but they're not all that bad once you get to know them. Oh! We're finally here!"

By "here" she meant a small clearing surrounded by trees with a small lake in the middle. There was a Marshtomp swimming alone in the small lake, and outside of it were Pokemon. Specifically, a Bayleef, a Raichu, a Flaaffy, and a Scrafty. The Scrafty was standing talking in the middle the circle talking to the smaller Pokemon so I assumed he was a counselor like Delia. He took notice to our presence and slowly made his was to us.

"Remember, "Hi, sometimes leads to a conversation, a conversation leads to interest, and interest leads to friendship. I'll explain in a second."

He walked over and knelt down in front of me so he was at my eye level and smiled. He looked at Delia and she put a leaf on my shoulder.

"Calvin, this is Aaron. He's here by recommendation from Patrick."

I looked up at her in confusion.

"Patrick?"

She looked down at me.

"You know him as Mr. Weiss."

Calvin looked back at me, and stretched out a hand.

"Hey bud! It's nice to meet you! Welcome to the group!"

I hesitantly shook his hand without saying anything and he patted me on the shoulder.

He began walking toward everyone else. Delia grabbed my paw, and gently pulled me so I could follow. The led me to the center of the circle and I froze when everyone stared at me. Calvin stood next to me.

"Alright everyone, we have another new addition. His name is Aaron, I want to make sure he is happy to be here so...we'll be playing a game! Aaron, I would like you to sit with everyone else while I explain..."

I did as I was told and he started to explain the rules. After he was done I realized it was basically hide and seek. Except whenever the seeker found someone they would have to introduce themselves, and vice versa. I figured it was a fun little way to get everyone to talk to each other. "Alright now that I've explained the rules, Aaron I want you to be our seeker. Come here."

I walked over to him, and he made me turn around.

"Alright, count twenty and then go find everyone."

I closed my eyes, and began counting...

(A few moments later)

After successfully finding everyone, I found that meeting people isn't as hard as I thought it was. Once I found the first person, the Bayleef, whose name was actually Bailey, and he introduced himself. He told me that he'd never seen a Riolu before, and he was anxious to get to know me. I then found the Raichu, whose name was Oscar. Then the Flaaffy named Julie, and the Marshtomp named Grace. I introduced myself to all of them, which wasn't so hard after the first time.

Once I found everyone we met in the clearing and Calvin decided to wrap this session up. He brought us back to the clearing and sat with us.

"Alright everyone. Thank you all for participating in the game, and doing your best to make or newest addition, Aaron, feel welcome. I hope that in the future we all learn to deal with our social anxiety, with the help of one another. This session is done. I hope you all make it home safe!"

He reached down and flipped up a panel that blended in with the grass and flipped a switch. Suddenly the forest area disappeared and the entire room turned white. I looked around confused and Bailey nudged me.

"Wanna walk with me? I'll explain everything about the room."

I nodded and followed him. As we walked out of the building he explained that the building we were in was made as a hosting center. People would rent out rooms for things like meetings, parties, and get-togethers. Since our school partially funded the building's construction we have access to one free room forever. He told me that that's where we were. For every session each person gets to pick where we want to go. We finally made it to the exit, and I realized it was almost 1:30. I remember Ms. Beth saying she wouldn't be here until 2 so I sat on the curb wondering what I would do for the next half an hour. Bailey sat next to me.

"Something wrong?"

"Yeah, my ride's not going to be here until 2 and I don't know what to do..."

"Well, what do you like to do for fun?"

I looked up in thought.

"Well, I like to draw, read, and watch anime. It's pretty much all I do when I'm at home."

I felt a little skeptical referring to the orphanage as my home and telling Bailey what really goes on, but I wouldn't dwell on it now.

He looked at my backpack.

"You like to draw!? Cool! Do you have any in your bag?"

I blushed, since no one ever asked to see my drawings before, and I was a little embarrassed.

"Y-yeah. Are you sure you want to see them?"

I looked at his wide grin and already knew the answer. I took my bag off and put it in between my legs, and reached inside for my sketch pad. I put it on my lap, and reluctantly opened up to the first picture, which was of a Lucario making a victory stance. Bailey looked at it curiously and I blushed.

"Who is that?"

I smiled and shook my head no.

"It's what I evolve into..."

He made the "Oh" gesture with his mouth and looked back at it.

"Well it looks cool, do you have any more?"

I flipped the page revealing a Riolu sleeping in front of a tree.

"Huh, it looks so peaceful...can you explain this picture?"

My face lit up since no one ever asked me to explain one of my pictures before either. I started to explain how I became inspired to draw this and what it's supposed to represent. The entire time Bailey sat there listening, not interrupting or jeering. I became so wrapped up in explaining my drawing, I didn't here Ms. Beth pull up. She got my attention by beeping her horn. I looked around and saw Ms. Beth sitting in her car across the street. Bailey saw where I was looking and looked at me.

"Is that your ride?"

I nodded.

"Well...uh...I guess I'll see you at school?"

I nodded again and then looked down at him. He had his head leaf stretched out toward me, and I shook it while laughing a little. He laughed too and waved as I hopped into Ms. Beth's car.

(Is...is this what it feels like to have a friend?)

Again, I'm sorry for taking such a long hiatus...hopefully I can get the next chapter up sooner XD


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 3: Three New Friends**

I know I said I'd try to get the next chapter up sooner, but I've been so busy with work and school lately that I haven't been able to write much lately…But school's over for me so I should hopefully be able to write more. Don't quote me on that :T

(Aaron's P.O.V.)

I went to school on Monday hoping to see my new friend Bailey, but when I got to school I couldn't find him anywhere. I immediately feared the worst.

(Maybe he's trying to avoid me. I knew I wouldn't have made a friend already…)

My day was suddenly ruined and I continued to homeroom while sulking.

(A few hours later)

After my first few classes passed by I made my way to the lunchroom, avoiding everyone I could. I went into the cafeteria and got my lunch. I was about to go toward Mr. Night's class to eat again(which I've been doing for a while just because it was nice to have someone to talk to once in a while) when I heard someone call my name.

"Aaron!"

I turned to where the voice came from and saw Bailey, along with an odd star/fairy looking Pokemon, and Veronica. Bailey was waving for me(with his leaf) to come over.

"Follow me to our table."

I made my way over slowly, and followed them outside to a table. Bailey and the Star Pokemon smiled at me. Veronica was reading and didn't notice me.

"Great to see you Aaron! These are my friends CJ and Veronica."

CJ floated over to me and shook my hand.

"Hi! Like Bailey just said, I'm CJ. CJ short for Celeste Joseki! You can call me CJ or Celeste or Josie I really don't care! I noticed you've been giving me an odd look. It's because you've never seen a Pokemon like me right?"

I nodded.

"I knew it. I'm a Pokemon known as Jirachi."

Bailey's face lit up.

"She can grant wi-"

Celeste's face turned red as she covered Bailey's mouth.

"Bailey, you're not supposed to tell anyone that remember?"

I gave the two of them an even odder look. Bailey gave me a cheeky smile.

"Anyway… this is Veronica. She's a major bookworm, but she's really nice once you get to know her."

We all looked at her, but she failed to acknowledge us. Too into her book. Bailey walked over to her and nudged her.

"Veronica. …Could you look up please? I want you to meet my new friend Aaron!"

He beamed and nudged her again. She sighed and looked up from her book.

"Fine fine."

She looked over at me with an apathetic look.

"Hello. My name is Veronica. What's yours?"

Her voice sounded sarcastic but I answered anyway.

"I-I'm Aaron. Nice to meet you-"

"All right great. We're acquainted. Can I finish reading now Bailey?"

Bailey and I froze from her sternness. And her tone killed the mood.

"S-sure. N-now then. Aaron, I told CJ all ab-bout your art. You wanna s-show her?"

CJ made a 'tsk' noise and glared at Veronica. Veronica merely shrugged her shoulders and continued reading.

I pulled my sketchbook out of my bookbag and placed it on the table.

(A few hours later)

I realized I had a few classes with Bailey, and a few classes with CJ. My classes with CJ were a bit awkward since I only really had to listen to what she had to say. I figured out she wasn't really one to listen to others. The classes I had with Bailey seemed to be fun since I had someone to talk to. We spent our free time I class learning about each other…

"So how did you meet CJ and Veronica?"

Bailey looked up in thought.

"Her parents and my parents are friends. It's a long story…"

His words piqued my curiosity.

"Oh. Well, I don't want to be nosy."

He waved off my concerns.

"Nah it's fine. Besides we've got time. You see, Celeste is really special. She has special powers unlike any other Pokemon."

My eyes lit up.

"What are they?"

He shook his head.

"I'm not allowed to tell anyone. But anyway, because of her special powers, her parents are really protective of her. Her family hired my family to protect her. She wasn't happy at first since her security would scare anyone who wanted to be friends with her so they came up with a plan. A.K.A. me. I was introduced as a friend, and guard. My parents are really great battlers so it was easy for them to train me to meet their standards. And since I was the first person to ever actually get close to her, she took an immediate liking to me. So now she has a friend and a protector. Win/Win."

I suddenly found myself wondering how good of a battler I was. I wondered how good MY parents were.

"Wow. That's so cool…"

Suddenly the final bell rang and we all shuffled into the hallway. I was thinking about how Bailey's parents' choices affected his life.

(I wonder if my parents even wanted me to hatch… I wonder if they decided right when I did to abandon me…or if it took some thought…)

I was shaken out of my thoughts when I felt a small sensation in the back of my mind. I looked around and saw Veronica staring at me. Another student walked by then she was gone. Bailey finally caught up with me and was gasping for breath.

"Geez Aaron. I know today was a rough day but did you have to leave like that?"

"Bailey. How did you meet Veronica?"

He looked up in thought as we started walking towards the exit.

"It's kinda weird. We aren't actually friends. She just sits with us at lunch and sometimes talks to us. Other than the stuff she says I don't really know anything about her. I still can't help but try to get her to open up.

When we exited the building I noticed Veronica getting into a black vehicle.

"It's like she decided we'd be acquaintances. Don't know how she picks though…"

I saw her take one last look at me before the car drove off. I was that day that I made it my mission to make her open up to me. According to my knowledge from my eavesdropping, people don't really know who Veronica is, or where she came from. They only know her name. And Bailey said that she isn't really friends with him or Celeste (and from what I saw it looks like Celeste doesn't like her).

What I'm getting at is that she doesn't really have any friends.

Just like me.

(The next day)

I woke up early in the morning, sore from the previous night's cleaning and punishment from Ms. Fern. I cracked my back and stretched.

(Alright! Today's the first day I try to get Veronica to open up to me. But how…)

I decided to ask the person who's supported ever since this school year started.

"Mr. Night? How am I supposed to actually make friends?"

I was sitting in the desk closest to his in his classroom. It was lunchtime and like I had before, I was eating in his classroom. I couldn't think up a plan to become friends with Veronica if she was right there! So I decided to eat with Mr. Night for a while.

"Where's this coming from?"

I put down my sandwich.

"Well…you see…there's someone I really want to be friends with. But I don't know how to approach them."

He swallowed his food.

"Well who is it?"

I looked down nervously, hesitant to say.

"Don't wanna say huh? That's fine. Just tell me what kind of person they are."

I looked up in thought.

(What kind of person is she?)

"I don't know that much about them."

"Just tell me what you do know."

I poked my paws together.

"Well, I know they like to read, they don't talk much, and they don't know a lot of people."

"Kinda sounds like you. Save for the reading part."

My face turned red, and I huffed. He chuckled and waved a paw.

"Kidding. But they sound like…is it Veronica Noire by any chance?"

My blood ran cold and I dropped my sandwich.

"Y-yes…"

I looked down, slightly embarrassed.

"How did you know?"

"It's been about 4 months since I started working here. I've had plenty of time to observe and get to know all of my students. Save for Veronica, who only enjoys the company of one thing. A book. She's one of the best writers of all my students."

I looked back up at him.

"Well, can you help me?"

He picked up a spoonful of the leftovers he was eating.

"Afraid I can't. If I try and tell you how friendships work solely from my experiences, you'll end up doing exactly what I did, no matter how hard you try to avoid it. It's like if you tell someone how to raise a child or how to battle. You may end up doing something that falls out of your comfort zone. Making friends is one of the things you want to learn how to do on your own."

I put my head in my arms on the desk.

"But I don't know how! I've never tried to make a friend before. All of this is so new!"

I felt a paw on my shoulder, and looked up to see Mr. Night squatting next to the desk.

"Do whatever feels most comfortable. Go with that gut feeling that tells what's right and what's wrong."

He smiled down at me and sat down at his desk. The bell signifying the end of lunch for me rung.

"Now get to your next class."

I picked up my trash and exited his classroom.

"Thanks Mr. Night!"

He simply waved and quickly finished his food.

Luckily my next "class" was just study hall in the library.

(Even though most of the kids don't study at all, or even read for that matter. The only one who actually reads is…)

I entered the library and saw her sitting at a table. Alone.

(Veronica.)

I hid behind a nearby bookshelf and watched. She was reading a book called "As the Wind Blows". It was about a Jumpluff and a Drifblim who traveled wherever the wind blew them but ended up getting separated.

(How am I supposed to approach her? Mr. Night said to just go with my gut feeling, but I don't know what to do…)

( _Maybe you could try simply speaking to me instead of stalking me in the library…)_

I was so surprised by the sudden voice in my head that I fell into the bookshelf and then into her line of sight. Some books fell on top of me. I heard a slight giggle come from her direction, but when I looked I saw only a glare coming from her ruby red eyes.

"What do you want?"

My face immediately turned red and I started stammering.

"S-sorry! I w-was only trying to f-find a way to come and talk to you!"

She got up and walked toward me holding her glare. She stopped when her face was right in front of mine.

I put my paws up in defense and shook them frantically as I said:

"I w-wasn't stalking you I swear! I was only-"

She silenced me by putting one of her hands over my mouth. I felt a familiar sensation in my head.

( _Be quiet. We're in the library remember? If you want to talk to be meet me in the park after school. You understand?)_

I shook my head yes.

( _Good. Now leave me alone so I can read.)_

She moved her hand away and sat back down where she was. I found myself feeling confused as to why I acted like that. I felt so afraid that I couldn't help but stutter and mess up my words. But I didn't know _why._

(How come I felt so nervous when talking to her? I only feel like this when standing in front of the class or when I bump into someone. Guess I'll have to figure it out after school…)

(A few hours later)

When school finally let up I quickly made my way to the park. I was only a few blocks away but I made it there quickly. I looked around for her, and saw her sitting on a bench under the shade of a tree, reading a book like usual. I slowly walked up to her, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. I sat down next to her and was about to tap her shoulder, but she put the book down and looked at me.

"What did you want to talk about?"

All of sudden my heart started racing. I began sweat profusely and I was shaking.

(I don't know what to say…)

A purple wave of aura flowed through the surrounding area.

I saw a worried look on her face.

"Are you okay?"

She reached up, and was about to touch my forehead but her face grew stern and her eyes began to glow. I was lifted up by her Psychic and flung away. When I landed, I looked and saw a dark blue Pokemon with a gray protrusion on his head, and an orange horn on his chest. His blade was extended and was glowing silver. It was stuck in the part of the bench of which I was just sitting. I looked and saw Veronica glaring at the oddly colored Gallade with malice in her eyes, and she was slightly growling. He got up and looked over me. I only looked back in shock and fear.

"Who are you?" I asked.

He merely scoffed and looked up.

"I should be asking you that. Since she _is_ my girlfriend, I only find it appropriate to keep you from getting to close to her."

"Girlfriend? I wasn't-"

"Yes! _My_ girlfriend. And you were getting a little too close there!"

"Listen I-"

"No, YOU listen!"

He picked me up by my chest fur, which really hurt.

"If I ever catch you anywhere near her again I'll-"

"LANCE!"

His whole visage went from an angry one, to a lovey-dovey one. He threw me down and went over to her.

"Yes my love?"

Her glare never let up.

"How many times do I have to tell you that we are NOT DATING!"

He made a pained face.

"But, Veronica-"

"NO! We aren't dating. I'm not your girlfriend. Stop stalking me, and LEAVE ME ALONE!"

She turned her back toward him and he grew angry. Then he looked at me.

"This is your fault!"

He came and picked me up again.

"I knew I should have eliminated you when I saw you walk up to her earlier! Now you will pay for stealing her from me!"

He lifted his other had and extended his blade. It began to glow purple and right before he lifted it up, but before he could strike I was whisked away by another Psychic. I landed next to Veronica who was in battle ready stance. He hands pressed together and was standing on her tip toes like a ballerina.

He glared at her.

"You wish to interfere? Fine. I will show no mercy. Psycho Cut!"

He swung his blade and a purple slash flew towards her.

She gracefully twirled and dodged attack. He slashed a few times creating more purple attacks. She danced around every one. When she stopped she reached out and three flames surrounded her. They suddenly began flying toward him.

"Will-O-Wisp"

He saw them coming and began moving around to dodge them. He managed to avoid two, but the third hit him right in the back. He fell to the ground and his body was sent ablaze.

"Hm. You burned me. No matter. I always carry around one of these."

From seemingly no where he pulled out an all green berry. Veronica gasped.

"Where did you get a Lum Berry?!"

He ate the whole thing in one bite and then the flames stopped.

"You've learned some new tricks Veronica. But now it's my turn. Swords Dance!"

He took the signature Gallade stance (where he turns his body so he has one arm in from and the other behind him) and closed his eyes. Swords began to swirl around him. Then a red aura surrounded him.

"Now I will end the both of you. Thunder Wave!"

A weak jolt of electricity flew toward Veronica and electrocuted her, effectively paralyzing her.

"I'm sorry Veronica my dear but I'm doing this for your own good. Brick Break!"

He jumped up in the air and made a fist. He propelled himself toward Veronica. Suddenly I couldn't control my body and found myself rushed in between them. I jumped in front of her and took the full force of his attack. He struck me in the chest and then jumped away. I fell backwards and everything was going black. But before I could faint I saw Veronica glare at Lance. She got up and, albeit paralyzed, used Psychic. She picked him up, withdrew her arm, and then made a throwing gesture. The last thing I saw before fainting was him go flying and out of sight.

"…A…aron…"

I slowly opened my eyes and saw Veronica kneeling over me with a worried look.

"Are you okay? I used Heal Pulse to heal you."

I nodded. Even though my bad was covered in scratches I felt fine. I sat up and grabbed my head.

"Yeah…I think I'm okay."

She growled.

"Good!"

She suddenly punched me in the back of the head.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

She crossed her arms.

"For being an idiot!"

"Wha- I was trying to help!"

She punched me in the arm. For a Kirlia she hit really hard.

"You dummy! My typing would've protected me and he knew that! That's why he used a move I resisted!"

I rubbed my head slowly.

"But that was very sweet of you…so thanks."

She got up then pulled me up. She led me to the bench we were at before.

"Now…what did you want to talk about?"

I gave her a surprised look.

"What about what just happened? I have so many questions like who was he? Why did he attack us?"

She waved away my questions.

"I'll tell you another time. What did you want to talk to me about?"

I saw her staring and giving me her undivided attention. My face grew red like before and I began to touch my paws together.

"W-well. I was going to ask if you wanted to be friends with me…"

She made a surprised face.

"Really? Why?"

I looked away sheepishly.

"I see you around school all the time. And I noticed you don't talk a lot and that you don't bring a lot of attention to yourself. So I figured you must be lonely…"

She punched me in the arm.

"I'm not lonely! I just…well… I just…no one notices me cause I'm always reading by myself and all…but I like it that way! And why are you watching me all the time anyway?!"

My face grew redder(if that was even possible)

"No no! I wasn't watching you! I just-"

She put a hand over my mouth.

"Nevertheless, I've never had anyone outright come and ask to be my friend like this. So…yes. I will be your friend. I owe it to after sorta helping me out with Lance."

A yellow wave of happiness was emitted from my body and my face lit up.

(YES! I…I did it! I made my first actual friend!)

P.O.S.

Alright alright…don't kill me. I'm sorry! But I've been so caught up with, you know, LIFE that I haven't had the time to type as much. But I'm on vacation so I should be typing more. Even if it is a few paragraph's a day, at least it's something! See you next chapter…


	7. Chapter 7

Yeah I died. I'm really sorry but I've been going through some stuff. I know I always say this but I've become preoccupied. I lost all my motivation for writing but that isn't going to stop me. I promise that I will finish this story just give me some time.(This is the first time I've opened word in months…xd)

 **Chapter 4: Getting to Know You(Part One)**

(Aaron's P.O.V.)

Since the day Veronica and I decided to become friends we haven't really spoken much. The only time we've exchanged words is at lunch, and she rarely said anything. We finally decided a day to "hang out" or whatever it's called on a Sunday afternoon. She decided we'd go to a Coffee shop a few blocks away from the school since it was easy to get to and not too expensive. When I arrived she was already there, drinking some coffee and reading, like usual. I went and sat next to her. Without putting her book down she stated:

"You're late…"

My blood ran cold.

"I-I didn't know we scheduled a time to meet…"

You slightly glared at me.

"Yes we did. I said we'd meet here at 12:45. It's 12:56. You should learn to be more punctual."

I looked down.

"Sorry…"

She put down her book.

"Whatever it's fine."

She reached under the table and pulled out a bag. She pulled out two index cards and two pencils.

"If you're going to be my friend we're going to have to learn about each other. I'm not saying tell each other all of our secrets or anything like that, just simple stuff like favorite color and hobbies. So write things you think I should know on this card and I'll do the same."

I looked down at my card. It was already marked name (full), favorite color, favorite hobby, favorite tv show, etc. I looked back at her.

"Are you sure this is what friends do? I mean I get what you're trying to do, but couldn't we just ask each other this stuff? This is like texting someone you've never met before or writing a letter."

She looked up from her card, at me, then back at it. Then her faced turned red.

"Isn't this what friends are supposed to do? I always thought people wrote down their personal information and then developed their friendship based on things they had in common and avoided doing things neither person liked."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Well I wouldn't know. I've never tried making a friend before so this is all new to me. Something about this just doesn't seem right is all."

He put a finger on her chin.

"I feel the same way. I didn't exactly feel comfortable with you knowing so much about me already and we barely know each other."

I chucked and scratched my head.

"Yeah I understand."

We both looked around. After a bit of awkward silence she finally spoke up.

"Well what do we do now? I've already finished my coffee…"

I shrugged my shoulders. That's when I heard a low "Awww…" from someone else here. I looked around until I saw two girls from our school, a Mismagius and an Espeon, looking right at us. I knew they were talking about us since they were pointing at our table. I pretended not to notice and used my excellent hearing, and practice from listening to other people's conversations (XD) to try and hear what they were saying. I heard them whispering:

"Look at those two. Don't they make a cute couple?"

"Yeah, the timid little Riolu boy and the quiet little Kirlia girl, right? Don't they go to our school?"

"Yup, neither of them really talk much to anyone so it's nice to see them together."

"It's always the ones you expect to be that actually have relationships."

"How long do you think they've been together? I'd say a month or two judging by how they act like they barely know each other."

"Ditto. I mean they're sitting on opposite sides of the table and everything."

"She's lucky, I've always wanted to find myself a nice guy. I'm not into the whole jock thing myself."

"Same, they're such dickheads sometimes."

I noticed the Espeon give me look.

"If he were a Lucario I probably would've asked him out myself. I have a thing for silent guys anyway…"

I saw her lick her lips and decided I would stop listening there. I looked over at Veronica. I assumed she heard the conversation too since she was slumped down in her seat and her face was beet red. I laughed a little.

"Wanna go?"

She nodded and we both started walking toward the exit. Before we left I glanced at them one more time. Just in time to see the Espeon wink at me and blow me an air kiss. I looked away and heard them giggle before finally exiting the establishment.

We walked in silence for a little while before I finally spoke up.

"So…what do you like to do besides read? I know there's more to you than that."

She finally looked up from the ground."

"Hmm…Well, I guess I like to walk through the forest (hint hint nudge nudge wink wink *ahem*)by myself…but we could that. It might be fun to have someone with me when I go…"

I smiled.

"Well, lead the way."

After walking for a little while we finally reached a part of time I've never been to. (When you don't have friends you tend to have a lot of time to yourself. I spent mine, exploring town) It was like a little Market area with Pokemon from many different regions in it. From Hoenn to Kalos, and even a few from Alola. But that stuff wasn't important now. Veronica was leading me past all that and into a forest area I didn't know was there. As we went farther in everything began to look even more beautiful. The bright and dark green leaves, the sun was shining down on everything and making the area glow. We stopped when we came across a clearing cut off by a cliff. In the center there was a large tree that was split in half creating a hollow area. In between those two halves there was an open area big enough for small group of Pokemon to sit. A stream ran through the area right off the edge of the cliff.

"I sometimes come here to read. I don't have to worry about anyone coming to bother me or any danger since it's hard for people to find. It's quiet, peaceful, and I can truly relax. Plus there's something else."

She grabbed my paw and led me inside the tree hollow. The inside of the tree was also cut off by the cliff, and beyond it there was nothing but a vast area of forest as far as the eye could see. Veronica smiled when she saw how mesmerized I was by the view.

"I sometimes come out here with some headphones and just listen to music while staring into the distance."

It went on like that for a while. Just us sitting in silence, staring into the vast area of green. I forgot all about my troubles. Ms. Fern, my lack of friendship, the orphanage. It was like it all flowed away with the stream. Veronica broke the silence by calling me.

"Aaron?"

Without looking, I replied.

"Yeah?"

"What made you want to be friends with me?"

I looked over at her. I noticed she was looking down sadly.

"I already told you. It's because I thought you were lonely."

"I know that. But there's got to be more than that right?"

I sighed.

"Well, actually it's because I thought you were like me. No friends, no one paying attention to you. I thought that you feel the same way I've felt for the last five years. But now I realize you chose not to have any friends because you like to be alone. I figured we'd shared loneliness and the fact that we had that in common would be enough to make a friendship. But…I guess not."

She looked at me sadly and slid over to me.

"I didn't know that was the case for you. It's okay though. You managed to win over Celeste and Bailey, and today you gained something."

I looked at her curiously.

"What?"

She held up a single finger and smiled.

"One more friend."

Okay sorry for making this chapter so short after being gone so long. I'm not gonna make any promises this time either. I really don't know when the next chapter will be up, but it'll be here. Even if it takes another few months (I'm really sorry about that btw). Like I said I'm sorry, and I will finish this story. No matter how long it takes.


End file.
